Evaporative cooler



Jan, 13. 1925. 1,522,549

` H. s. scHoPF EVAPORATIVE COOLER Filed June 25, 1923 illustrated one complete example of Patented (lan. i3, i925.

UNITED STATES rar HENRY S. SCHUTZ?, OF SPOKANE, FWASHIil'G'lOll.

EVAPORATVE COOLER.

Application filed .Tune 25, i923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY S. SCHOPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in Spokane county and State of Washington, have invented certain new and' useful improvements in Evaporative Coolers, of which the following is a speciiication.

rlhe present invention relates to improvements in evaporative coolers designed either for domestic use, or for use in traveling in which latter case the cooler is made in appropriate sizes, and adapted as a refrigerator for t'oods and supplies.

rlhe primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is inexpensive in cost of production, simple in construction and adapted for manufacture in various sizes either for domestic use, or to be carried, for instance on the running board of an automobile or other automotive vehicle.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts involving a water chamber having exterior walls or panels of porous, absorbent material or" required strength to confine the water within its chamber but of sulicient porosity to permit gradual and slow evaporation o'f the contained water, for reirigerating purposes.

In the accompanying drawings l have the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure l is a perspective view of an evaporative cooler embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the cooler at line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, sectional, detail view showing the manner of securing the edges of the porous panels 0r walls at the interior sides of the outer casing and forming a watertight and air tight gasket in the water chamber.

Figure l is a horizontal sectional view of the cooler as at line L of Fig. 2, showing also the door construction.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the door and part of the cooler with the latter in position where the door is at the top, instead of at the front of the cooler as in Figure l.

Serial No. 647,619.

The outer casing l and the inner spaced box 2 are preferably stamped from metal and fashioned by suitable tools or machinery to the proper or desired shape, but itwill be understood that other material may be employed in the construction ot these elements. As shown in Fig. 2 a shelf or partition 3 may be utilized to form the upper chamber 4 and lower chamber 5 within the storage compartment of the cooler, and the foods and supplies within the compartment are refrigerated by capillary attraction and evaporation of water from the water chamber 6 which is formed at the top, bottom, back and two sides of the cooler as indicated in Figs. l and 2.

At 7 in Fig. l a iilling opening and cap are indicated through which water may be supplied to the water chamber and a suficient supply of water may be furnished to form a water jacket surrounding the inner casing or box, as indicated in Fig. 2. A handle 8 is shown in Fig. 1 attached to the top portion of the cooler by means of which it may be carried, and this loophandle may be utilized in strapping the cooler to a vehicle for travel.

All of the walls except the front and bottom, are provided with large openings 9 in the outer casing, and as shown these openings are of such size as to extend throughout the greater portion of the walls of the outer casing. However, the wall 10, which forms the bottom of the cooler when standing in the position of Figs. l and 2, is a solid wall, adapting the cooler for domestic use.

Each ot the openings 9 in the outer casing is closed by a porous panel l1 which is of sufficient strength to retain the shape of the cooler and support the water in the water chamber, and yet of the required porosity to permit capillary attraction and evaporation of the water from the water chamber. These anels may be made of heavy hemp, flax or jute, and other materials suitable for the purpose may also be used.

The porous panels are held taut at the nner sides oi the walls ot the outer casing by means of metallic frames indicated as a whole by the numeral l2, and these securing trames are attached to the casing l by means of rivets 13 which pass through the walls and through the trames as indicated in Fig. 3. To render the joints between the outer casingfzand the porous panels air tight and watertight the attaching frames 12 are utilized as gaskets, and the edges of the panels which are folded asiat 14 are embedded and secured within the folded edges 15 of the frame. The rivets 13, which pass through these double folds of the panels and of the frame and through the walls of the outer casing, provide tight joints that are both water tight and air tight.

`It will be apparent that the water in the water chamber is'absorbed under capillary attraction by the porous walls or panels,

and the evaporation of the water which takes place. at the exterior of the panels refrigerates the contents of the cooler in well known manner.

As an auxiliary device a porous wick 15 in F ig. 2 may be attached at the inner side of the top panel of the cooler, which by capillary attraction will absorb water aft-er the water level has descended below the lower edges of the panels in the side walls of the cooler. This wick, as indicated lmay extend down through the water chamber to the space beneath the bottom of the provision compartmentof the cooler, and by capillary attraction will draw the water therefrom for refrigerating purposes.

The door 16 lills an opening atthe front of the food or provision compartment and vis provided with hinges 17 and handle 18 as usual. A water chamber 19 is formed withinthe door and water may be supplied thereto through the inlet 20 in order that the front ofthe cooler as in Fig. 1 or the top of thelcooler as in Fig. 5 may also be refrigerated. `A lock or latch 21 of suitable type may be utilized to hold the door closed.

The panel 22s securedlto the ,door in the same manner 'that the panels 11 are attached to the casing, and an auxiliary wick 23 (see Fig. 5) may be att-ached to this panel for capillary use in the evaporation of the water inthe water chamber oI the door when the cooler is standing in the position indicated in Fig. 5 with the door at the top of the cooler.

From. the above description taken in con` nection with my drawings itwill be appar'- ent -that I have provided an efficient and economical evaporative cooler of this type which fulfills the objects and purposes-of my invention as previously set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to se.- cure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination is an evaporative cooler of an outer casing having openingsfin its walls'and an inner box forming an intermediate water chamber,of panels of porous material forming sustaining wallsl and closing said openings, frames attached tothe edges of said panels, and attaching means for securing said frames to the casing walls whereby a watertight joint is formed between the casing walls and said panels.-

2. In an evaporative cooler the` combination Vwith a wall thereof having an opening therein', of a porous panel closing said opening and forming a sustaining wall, an attaching frame for the panel having folded portions, the edges of said panel having interlocking folded portions, and means for attaching the frame and panel to said wail for 'the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY S. kSGI-IOFF. 

